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A promotion ceremony is held at the Middlesex County Courthouse for officers of the Middlesex County Sheriff's Department. November 26 2014 New Brunswick NJ. Photo by Kathy Johnson Kathy Johnson/MyCentralJersey, Courier News

A promotion ceremony is held at the Middlesex County Courthouse for officers of the Middlesex County Sheriff's Department. November 26 2014 New Brunswick NJ. Photo by Kathy Johnson Kathy Johnson/MyCentralJersey, Courier News

A promotion ceremony is held at the Middlesex County Courthouse for officers of the Middlesex County Sheriff's Department. November 26 2014 New Brunswick NJ. Photo by Kathy Johnson Kathy Johnson/MyCentralJersey, Courier News

A promotion ceremony is held at the Middlesex County Courthouse for officers of the Middlesex County Sheriff's Department. November 26 2014 New Brunswick NJ. Photo by Kathy Johnson Kathy Johnson/MyCentralJersey, Courier News

A promotion ceremony is held at the Middlesex County Courthouse for officers of the Middlesex County Sheriff's Department. November 26 2014 New Brunswick NJ. Photo by Kathy Johnson Kathy Johnson/MyCentralJersey, Courier News

A promotion ceremony is held at the Middlesex County Courthouse for officers of the Middlesex County Sheriff's Department. November 26 2014 New Brunswick NJ. Photo by Kathy Johnson Kathy Johnson/MyCentralJersey, Courier News

A promotion ceremony is held at the Middlesex County Courthouse for officers of the Middlesex County Sheriff's Department. November 26 2014 New Brunswick NJ. Photo by Kathy Johnson Kathy Johnson/MyCentralJersey, Courier News

A promotion ceremony is held at the Middlesex County Courthouse for officers of the Middlesex County Sheriff's Department. November 26 2014 New Brunswick NJ. Photo by Kathy Johnson Kathy Johnson/MyCentralJersey, Courier News

A promotion ceremony is held at the Middlesex County Courthouse for officers of the Middlesex County Sheriff's Department. November 26 2014 New Brunswick NJ. Photo by Kathy Johnson Kathy Johnson/MyCentralJersey, Courier News

A promotion ceremony is held at the Middlesex County Courthouse for officers of the Middlesex County Sheriff's Department. November 26 2014 New Brunswick NJ. Photo by Kathy Johnson Kathy Johnson/MyCentralJersey, Courier News

A promotion ceremony is held at the Middlesex County Courthouse for officers of the Middlesex County Sheriff's Department. November 26 2014 New Brunswick NJ. Photo by Kathy Johnson Kathy Johnson/MyCentralJersey, Courier News

A promotion ceremony is held at the Middlesex County Courthouse for officers of the Middlesex County Sheriff's Department. November 26 2014 New Brunswick NJ. Photo by Kathy Johnson Kathy Johnson/MyCentralJersey, Courier News

A promotion ceremony is held at the Middlesex County Courthouse for officers of the Middlesex County Sheriff's Department. November 26 2014 New Brunswick NJ. Photo by Kathy Johnson Kathy Johnson/MyCentralJersey, Courier News

A promotion ceremony is held at the Middlesex County Courthouse for officers of the Middlesex County Sheriff's Department. November 26 2014 New Brunswick NJ. Photo by Kathy Johnson Kathy Johnson/MyCentralJersey, Courier News

A promotion ceremony is held at the Middlesex County Courthouse for officers of the Middlesex County Sheriff's Department. November 26 2014 New Brunswick NJ. Photo by Kathy Johnson Kathy Johnson/MyCentralJersey, Courier News

A promotion ceremony is held at the Middlesex County Courthouse for officers of the Middlesex County Sheriff's Department. November 26 2014 New Brunswick NJ. Photo by Kathy Johnson Kathy Johnson/MyCentralJersey, Courier News

A promotion ceremony is held at the Middlesex County Courthouse for officers of the Middlesex County Sheriff's Department. November 26 2014 New Brunswick NJ. Photo by Kathy Johnson Kathy Johnson/MyCentralJersey, Courier News

A promotion ceremony is held at the Middlesex County Courthouse for officers of the Middlesex County Sheriff's Department. November 26 2014 New Brunswick NJ. Photo by Kathy Johnson Kathy Johnson/MyCentralJersey, Courier News

A promotion ceremony is held at the Middlesex County Courthouse for officers of the Middlesex County Sheriff's Department. November 26 2014 New Brunswick NJ. Photo by Kathy Johnson Kathy Johnson/MyCentralJersey, Courier News

A promotion ceremony is held at the Middlesex County Courthouse for officers of the Middlesex County Sheriff's Department. November 26 2014 New Brunswick NJ. Photo by Kathy Johnson Kathy Johnson/MyCentralJersey, Courier News

A promotion ceremony is held at the Middlesex County Courthouse for officers of the Middlesex County Sheriff's Department. November 26 2014 New Brunswick NJ. Photo by Kathy Johnson Kathy Johnson/MyCentralJersey, Courier News

A promotion ceremony is held at the Middlesex County Courthouse for officers of the Middlesex County Sheriff's Department. November 26 2014 New Brunswick NJ. Photo by Kathy Johnson Kathy Johnson/MyCentralJersey, Courier News

A promotion ceremony is held at the Middlesex County Courthouse for officers of the Middlesex County Sheriff's Department. November 26 2014 New Brunswick NJ. Photo by Kathy Johnson Kathy Johnson/MyCentralJersey, Courier News

A promotion ceremony is held at the Middlesex County Courthouse for officers of the Middlesex County Sheriff's Department. November 26 2014 New Brunswick NJ. Photo by Kathy Johnson Kathy Johnson/MyCentralJersey, Courier News

A promotion ceremony is held at the Middlesex County Courthouse for officers of the Middlesex County Sheriff's Department. November 26 2014 New Brunswick NJ. Photo by Kathy Johnson Kathy Johnson/MyCentralJersey, Courier News

Middlesex County Sheriff Mildred Scott, right, congratulates officers at the end of a promotions ceremony Wednesday at the Middlesex County Courthouse in New Brunswick.(Photo: Kathy Johnson/Staff Photographer)Buy Photo

Story Highlights

The chief warrant officer's position is not subject to civil service examination

Burgess said it was "devastating" when she missed the lieutenant's promotion, but said she takes a long view of her career

Burgess has served on the department's internal affairs unit, which investigates complaints against officers

NEW BRUNSWICK – Candice Burgess, the new chief warrant officer at the Middlesex County Sheriff's Office, owes a lot to Sheriff Mildred "Millie" Scott.

For one, Scott led the way for other women and women of color when she was promoted in 1982 to that same title.

On Wednesday, Scott swore in Burgess in a promotion that has raised some eyebrows at the embattled department because Burgess, who is 34 and has just nine years of job experience, has only held the rank of sergeant and failed a state civil service examination for a lieutenant's promotion.

The chief warrant officer's position is not subject to civil service examination and, like the department's investigators, is appointed at the sheriff's discretion.

Scott, however, backed her decision, describing Burgess, a Marine veteran from Montclair, as a sort of protégé.

"She has been very dedicated. She is a very hard worker. She knows the department inside and out," Scott said Wednesday after a promotion ceremony at the Middlesex County Courthouse. "She may have had a short career, but she is very knowledgeable.

"I don't look at her as being a woman and I didn't look at her as being a woman of color. I looked at her as a person first. It feels very good to see her promoted because it comes back to me from where I was. What I see in her is what I saw in myself years ago — learning as much as I possibly could."

Burgess said it was "devastating" when she missed the lieutenant's promotion, but said she takes a long view of her career.

"It's a little weird, but it's a great honor. When the sheriff leaves, I can go back to being a sergeant," she said. "I will be here for the next 16 years, whatever my title is."

Scott's department has been embroiled in litigation as the Democrat has tried to clean up after her disgraced predecessor, Joseph Spicuzzo, who is serving a prison sentence for a scheme in which he took cash bribes in exchange for hiring investigators and officers.

Scott has fired some of the employees implicated in the scheme, as well as other workers, resulting in lawsuits charging her with violating employee due process and discrimination.

Burgess has served on the department's internal affairs unit, which investigates complaints against officers. Burgess said she strove to be fair and impartial.

"Never lie, tell the truth," she said about internal investigations. "I'm here to protect our officers and to protect the public, and any allegation of misconduct against our officers, if they are wrong, they will be disciplined."

Other promotions Wednesday:

• Mark Ciminieri and Timothy Smith were sworn in as sergeants;

• William Germann was sworn in as a lieutenant;

• James Rizzi was sworn in as a captain;

• Lt. Gilbert Nielsen was sworn in as director, a position not subject to civil service testing.